My personal obedience to God - that's where the confidence to lead someone else to be obedient to God comes from. My confession of sin. My repentance for wrongdoing. My steps of faith. My acts of obedience. My sacrifice. My surrender. Without it, I'm a fraud.

My spiritual leadership is only as legitimate as I am obedient.

I cannot lead someone, with integrity, to trust God if I am not trusting God. I cannot encourage someone, with authenticity, to confess sin if I am not confessing sin. I cannot direct someone, with authority, to take a difficult step of faith if I am not taking difficult steps of faith.

I cannot lead someone, with urgency, to do the last thing that God is leading them to do if I have not done the last thing that God has led me to do.

The Church doesn't need another leader who is talking the talk but not walking the walk. The Church doesn't need another leader who isn't first leading themselves. The Church doesn't need another leader who has no personal experience with the Gospel in which they are leading people to receive.

The Church needs leaders who are, first and foremost, recipients of the grace they are distributing. The Church needs leaders who are well acquainted with the joys of following the commands they are encouraging others to obey. The Church needs leaders who are more committed to their sanctification than to the sanctification of others.

With all this in mind, if you are a Christian leader, I encourage you to be obedient God.

Whatever He is leading you to do...do it. Today.

The integrity and authenticity of your leadership is depending upon it.